Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

दंष्ट्रिभिर्जलपाते च विद्युत्पातेषु ये मृताः । न येषामग्निसंस्कारो नाशौचं नोदकक्रिया

Transliteration

daṃṣṭribhirjalapāte ca vidyutpāteṣu ye mṛtāḥ | na yeṣāmagnisaṃskāro nāśaucaṃ nodakakriyā

Translation

Ceux qui moururent par des bêtes aux crocs, ou en tombant dans l’eau, ou frappés par la foudre—ceux pour qui il n’y eut ni rite funéraire du feu, ni observance d’impureté, ni offrande d’eau—(sont aussi compris).

Word by Word

• दंष्ट्रिभिः: by those with fangs (biters)
• दंष्ट्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• जलपाते: in a fall into water / drowning
• जलपाते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जले पातः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विद्युत्पातेषु: in lightning strikes
• विद्युत्पातेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत्-पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विद्युतः पातः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Predicate (विशेषणवत् विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (past passive participle: ‘dead’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of whom)

• अग्निसंस्कारः: fire-rite (cremation)
• अग्निसंस्कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अग्निना संस्कारः / अग्निसंबन्धी संस्कारः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अशौचम्: impurity (mourning)
• अशौचम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (there is no impurity)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• उदकक्रिया: water-rite (libations)
• उदकक्रिया: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उदकेन/उदकसम्बन्धिनी क्रिया)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative tableau of accidental deaths: serpent-bite, drowning, lightning-strike shown as small vignettes; foreground shows a priest at the river performing udaka-kriyā and piṇḍa offerings on behalf of those without cremation or mourning rites.

Characters & Entities

• Agni-saṃskāra (cremation)
• Udaka-kriyā (water rites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma highlights compassionate completion: sacred rites and tīrtha-merit can assist even those who lacked proper last rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa, presented as efficacious for difficult death-cases and incomplete rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference to antyeṣṭi components—agni-saṃskāra (cremation), āśauca observance, and udaka-kriyā—implying remedial śrāddha/rites at the tīrtha.